And so the announcement must be made… My parents are moving across the country. To Oscoda, MI. Those of you that know me, know this may be the hardest change I face in my life. My parents have never been more than 20 minutes away in my lifetime. My parents have been my North Star, my lighthouse in the storm, my camp counselor, my greatest teacher and my best friends. They mean the world to me and my Doodle. They have been our constants through everything. Never a back turned, never a moment of questioning their love for me or us, never a moment where they wouldn’t be there. Even today, in a stable marriage with wonderful children of my own, my parents never miss a big moment. Surgery; they are in the waiting room. New job; they are celebrating. Wedding; they reschedule their summer vacation. Doodle; they jump at the chance to spend time with her. This is not like life moments of my past; cancer or car accidents or divorce or any of life’s great struggles that I’ve faced. No, this is very different. This is me learning a new normal, learning a new day-to-day. This is me cheering on my parents next stage of their life, versus them cheering mine on. And this is me and Doodle seeing my folks much much less than the two to three times a week we are used to.

But, as with all change, though there will be a struggle, there is also beauty. The beauty exists within everything. And God works in mysterious ways. The beauty; my parents will be near family and friends. They will own their home, they will live in a quaint community, they will be a few minutes drive from my aunt and grandma, they will get to enjoy retired life with people who are also retired and they will get to become snow birds. They will also have independence, more financial stability, freedom and again, those pesky family and friends that live in Michigan.